These registers were kept to record details of people immigrating to Victoria, under Government funded assisted immigration schemes. These schemes were developed in response to a demand for labour, particularly rural and domestic workers. brick makers, fencers, including making rock walls in the Western Districts, bakers, shepherds, grooms, blacksmiths, carpenters and those of experience in animal husbandry were in demand. The Government wished to encourage a stable Yeoman type society, based on the English model, and so encouraged married couples as well as single women to join the flood of immigrants. domestic servants, laundresses, seamstresses, cooks and governesses were most needed.

From 1839 to 1868 Port Phillip District of New South Wales officials worked in conjunction with the British Government's Emigration Officer in London who was responsible for promoting migration, supervising the selection of applicants for both Government and privately-sponsored schemes, and arranging for their passage. Many religious societies and employment groups in England and Australia became involved with these schemes, including Caroline Chisholm and J B Ware.

While there is an enormous amount of absorbing historical detail available on the subject of Assisted Immigration, and much fascinating research has already been published, this article simply wishes to display some reports signed by John Patterson, chairman of the Immigration Board of Inspection recorded in the Assisted Immigration Registers.

Registers hold the passenger details (nominal lists), occasionally the employment details (disposal lists), the amounts of gratuities the crew were paid for safe transportation of the passengers, numbers of married couples, single men and single women, the number of births and deaths. One Register can hold details of voyages, passengers and commercial payments of 20 or so vessels. The Immigration Board of Inspection reports were not recorded at the end of the notes of every voyage; some Registers do not hold any of these reports, or the rarer Master’s or Surgeon Superintendant’s notes. Generally, the earlier volumes record more information.

The immigration contacts, between the Government and the immigration entrepreneurs, required the numbers of single men and women to be exactly that of the agreement; otherwise the bounty would not be approved for excess people eg “deduct bounty … for an excess of 19 single men, ₤341” on the ship Melbourne, December 1841. As well, the single women were all to be “under the protection of” married couples otherwise the Immigration bounties would not be paid, for example “One single female Margt. Carroll, disallowed Bounty not coming to the Colony protected, ₤19”, on the ship Agostina. No bounty was paid for immigrants found to be ill, such as “Henry Sanson (single man) discovered to be nearly blind. ₤19 deducted” on the ship Alexander, January 1842.

Record Citation:

VPRS 14/P0, Register of Assisted Immigrants from the United Kingdom (refer to microform copy, VPRS 3502)

Below is a virtual template of a report from John Patterson, many of the straightforward reports are very similar to this one.

Report of the Immigration Board of Inspection

[Page 1]

Sir.We have the honor to inform You, thatin consequence of directions received from Your Honorwe on the 8th instant proceeded on board “TheMaitland” which had arrived the day previouswith Immigrants from Plymouth, after a voyageof 115 days.

They enjoyed good health during thevoyage and arrived here in a healthy stateThere occurred on the passage 3 deaths (children)and 4 births.

They have been Selected chiefly inScotland, there are very few from Englandand none from Ireland

Not a single complaint was made by anyof them, but all expressed themselves well treated duringthe voyage; The major part of the Males areAgricultural Laborers and Shepherds, The femaleshave been accustomed to House Service.

The Surgeon reports them as havingbeen well conducted and obedient to the rulesand regulations established for their observanceNo infectious disease of any kind appeared on boardThe water and provisions are reported as having beenof good quality, Cleanliness and Ventilation appearto have been well attended to by the Surgeonand Officers of the Ship, nearly all the adultsare able to read and write and are in possessionof a Bible

As respects the accommodationfor the passengers, it is in every respect

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excellent, The between Decks are Spacious andof the requisite height, We may herefinish our report by Stating that allthe people by the Maitland, have foundemployment on Shore

Signed John PattersonChairman of the Board

Members of the Board present

John Patterson ChairmanP CussenHy Green

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A more descriptive report, containing more details of the voyage and the ‘disposal’ of all to employment follows.

Ship David Clark

[Page 1]

General Remarks

The Ship David Clark, sailed from Greenock, for PortPhilip direct, on the 15th of June 1839 – having twohundred, & twenty nine Government Emigrants onboard – She put into Rio Janeiro on the 15th. of August& took in water, & fresh provisions – after remainingthere about ten days she resumed her voyage, andarrived at Port Philip on the 27th. of October – theiroccurred only one death on bd, & one birth -During the voyage – The Immigrants arrived atPort Philip in excellent health, & spirits; & appear tobe a respectable body of people, & well suited to thewants of this Colony – Their general conductduring the voyage has been orderly, & obedient, &they all express themselves as highly pleasedwith the arrangement, & accommodation on bd& the treatment experienced from the SurgeonSuperintendent, the Captain, & Officers of theShip. Their health & comforts seem to have beenwell attended to, the ship appeared clean, &well ventilated, & the provisions of the best quality

The Immigrants were all landed in anorderly manner, on the 29th, & 30th. of October, andplaced in tents, ready for their occupation, pitchedon the Opposite side of the Yarra from MelbourneIn a fortnight they were all advantageouslydisposed of, as their services were very much requiredhere, & from the high rate of wages their conditionin life must be vastly improved. – J.S

Occasionally the reports elaborated on the districts from where the migrants originated, such as the following examples.

Ship Manchester, January 20th 1849

The married people and single men havebeen selected chiefly from the several counties inEngland indiscriminately some from Scotland anda great proportion of the unmarried females come fromLondon or other large towns.

Ship Aurora

The Aurora sailed from Plymouth on the17th of August 1848 and arrived off PointHenry Geelong on the 7th instant, havingmade the passage in 110 days.The passengers consist of 33 familiesviz Husbands 33 Wives 33. Children 50, in all116, Single men 58, Single Women 30in all 204 Souls.

They seem to have been Selected withmuch judgement, the greater part arefrom Scotland, Several from Cornwallonly one married Couple and oneSingle female from Ireland, theyappear to be a useful and highlyrespectable class of General Servants.

Ship Palmira, Augst. 7th 1848

They have been chiefly selected in the midlandcounties of England with the exception of somefew from Scotland & the North of Ireland, indeedon the whole a more desirable class of ImmigrantsSouls not be wished for.

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The following report concerns an ‘orphan ship’.

Lady Kennaway

Report of the Immigration Board of Inspection

[Page 1]

Melbourne Dec 23 1848

SirWe have the Honor to informyou, that according to Your instructionswe on the 7th instant proceeded onboardthe Lady Kennaway, which arrived atPort Phillip on the day previous withFemale Orphans, Immigrants, after avoyage of 85 days. The Females in questionhave been selected out of several of the Poorhouse Unions in Ireland, and consist ofGirls of the age from 14 to 19 Years, their generalaspect indicates good health, and gives theimpression that they belong to the humblerranks of life. They are generally of a stoutmake, rather low in stature, and areendowed with strongly marked Irishphysiognomies; They are almost exclusivelyof the Roman Catholic Religion, and itwould appear that most of them havebeen in Service of some kind or other,either in Town or Country, previous to leaving their native homes

We do then S[sic]onsider them to be on thewhole, a most seasonable supply andacquisition to this City and its environs,and hope that we may in future havemany importations of a similar kind,and as they come originally from smallcountry Towns and adjoining districts,they have never seen or been accustomedto witness those demoralizing Scenes toofrequent in large Towns in many partsof the Empire, and we doubt not butthat they will continue to conductthemselves as hitherto and keep in the

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paths of virtue. Every person that was fortunate enough to get on[sic] of them that we haveSpoken with, express themselves well pleasedwith them. They are most anxious to pleasetheir Employers, and as they have much to learnin the line of their callings, we doubt notbut that they will be teachable and makegood and useful Servants. Very few ofthem can read, and scarcely any of themcan both read and write, altho’ each of themwas given a prayer book and testament fromtheir respective Unions

They are represented as having beengenerally obedient well conductedduring the voyage, and amenable to therules and regulations established fortheir observance, some few of themwere inclined to be rather noisy andboisterous occasionally, and would nothesitate at times to let out a bit of an oath

The importation by this vessel consistsof Seven families comprising 19 Souls,Orphan Girls 191. One Girl aged 11 YearsSent out to join her parents in Melbourneto whom she was delivered up, Chief Matron 1Sub Matron 4, making a total of 216 Souls.only one death, that of a child occurredon the passage.

The people all arrived here in excellent health,none being on the Sick List, and they certainlyexhibited the appearance of having beenon full allowance on the voyage

Not a Single complaint of any Kind, wasmade by any of them, All expressedthemselves satisfied with the treatmentthey experienced during the passage.

The Surgeon Superintendent being anold Navy surgeon, and besides having hadexperience in this particular line of Employment,[Page 3]

seems with the Cordial Cooperation ofthe Master and other Officers of theShip to have maintained Strict order,and to have preserved that moralrestraint so very necessary under thepeculiar circumstances of this case.

We beg leave in this place torepresent to Your Honor, to be broughtunder the consideration of theproper authorities at home, shouldsuch be decined [sic] expedient that incases likely to happen in future wherea large number of Immigrants have beenselected either in Ireland or Scotland,a great benefit would be conferredon them by substituting a quantity ofOatmeal for a portion of the articles ofdiet, as supplied at present by the dietaryscale, together with a proper proportionof Molasses to be used with the porridgein lieu of Milk, the article generallyused on Shore, such substitution would bemost grateful and better suited to theirtastes, and habits, but we consider wouldbe conducive to their well being and health.There is a mess made with Maize meal, inthe same manner that Oatmeal is treatedequally palatable, nutritious, and wholesomewhich during the voyage might be alternatedwith the porridge with much benefit.

It may not be out of place hereto remark, that the applicants for the Serviceof these females were numerous and thatat the present time they are all hired inrespectable places, but three not yet engaged

Finally here is a report on passengers who were quarantined on arrival at Port Phillip.

Ship Glen Huntly

[Page 1]

General Remarks

The ship Glen Huntly sailed from Geenock forPort Philip direct on the 14th. day of December 1839about six weeks after her departure fever of a Typhoidcharacter began to make its appearance amongstthe Immigrants & continued to prevail during theremainder of the voyage ----- On her arrival at PortPhilip she was immediately put under QuarantineA spot was selected for a Quarantine ground – Tentswere pitched for their reception, & in a few days theentire of the passengers were landed, & the Quarantineregulations strictly enforced – Our camp was destinedfor the accommodation of the healthy, & the other for thatof the sick, all intercourse between them being strictlyinterdicted -----very few new cases appeared after theirbeing landed, the Sick gradually recovered, & on the 1st.of June the Immigrants in the healthy camp wereliberated from Quarantine & obtained situationsThe convalescents & healthy in the sick camp wereremoved over to the clan [sic] camp & kept separated from thefew not quite recovered – On the 13th. of June those in thehealthy camp were likewise liberated, & the few remaing [sic]convalescents seen on the 20th. removed from the Quarantineground to the vicinity of Melbourne, all appearance ofsickness having for some weeks previous ceased to exist& on the 1st July they were all disposed of – There were52 persons either actually ailing or convalescentwhen the immigrants first cam [sic] on shore – John Patterson.